The present invention relates generally to securing protective structures for windows in high wind conditions including those found in hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons. In particular, the present invention relates to an adapter for hanger bolts used to efficiently drill hanger bolts into a substrate in order to secure protective structures for windows or other structures during high winds and inclement weather.
The temporary attachment of storm shutters over windows and doors is often more desirable than installing permanent shutters for both aesthetic alternatives and low cost. Frequently, storm shutters are merely nailed to and subsequently removed from building structures in temporary manners that blemish buildings and require too much of the already limited time available in emergency conditions. Plywood is typically nailed over windows and patio doors during hurricane warnings to prevent rain and debris imparted with the wind""s force from breaking windows and entering the structure. Nailing sheets of plywood over windows is often difficult on many structures, and, unfortunately, can take too long to secure a shutter or panel over each window. Furthermore, fierce winds can pull out plywood that has been nailed down.
Homeowners are generally reluctant to drive nails into their own window frames or to be on ladders during inclement weather. Moreover, most individuals cannot grip both large, cumbersome pieces of plywood or shutters while nailing them in when a hurricane is forecasted.
Plywood or shutters that are nailed to a window frame can also be blown out of a structure due to the higher pressure on the inside of the structure in relation to the lower pressure on the outside of the structure during high winds. This is due to the Bernoulli effects, observed where wind blowing around and over a structure causes lower pressure on one side relative to the pressure on the other side, causing the window, wall, or roof to be blown out. This is similar to the situation that occurs where an airplane rises due to the pressure differential where faster air moves over a wing structure, resulting in a lower pressure over the wing structure, in relation to the high pressure of slower moving air under a wing. The pressure differential causes the wing structure to be pushed upwards, resulting in lift. Thus, the windows, walls, or roof blow outward from a structure due to the Bernoulli effects of wind moving rapidly over to the structure. When the window, side wall, or other component of a structure is blown out, the stiffness of the roof and structure generally is decreased as a result of the wind gaining access into the structure. Wind-driven rain, along with the debris can damage the contents in the structure. In addition, these elements can further damage the structural integrity of the walls and roof of the structure.
In the past, homeowners believed that their structure""s walls could be prevented from being blown out by relieving the high pressure differential on the inside of the structure through the opening of windows. However, the opened windows allowed wind, rain, and debris inside. Moreover, if the windows were opened only on one side of the structure, the wind could rapidly change direction and blow out the walls or roof as a way out was sought. The resulting damage would eliminate any benefit of attempting to relieve the pressure differential.
Plywood can still be applied as the shutter material in the present invention, however, steel and other desirable materials can be used as well, including newly developed materials as they become commercially available.
Furthermore, with the increasing use of powered drills, the utilization of wood screws or other threaded bolts as fasteners instead of nails is now economically feasible. Standard screws have several weaknesses, particularly in the case of large loading. Foremost, it has been demonstrated that the heavy duty power drivers often break the heads off of standard screws prior to the clutch disengaging the drive at the end of the driving cycle. This often occurs when the head suddenly reached an immovable portion, such as sheet metal. Further, the screws that had adequate unthreaded portions in order to resist the large shear loads would split the wood upon installation, or shortly thereafter, since the diameter of the unthreaded portions was larger than the diameter of the bore made by the threaded portion of the screw. In addition, existing screw fasteners with unthreaded portions adjacent the head that had smaller diameters to prevent wood splitting were not able to be fastened tightly.
The above-mentioned issues are particularly problematic where the shear loads are cycling loads, as they are in earthquakes and hurricanes. In such circumstances, each reversal of the shear loading tends to widen the bore opening until a major loosening occurs. At such point, the loads are impact loads and can endanger the structure to wood splitting.
Prior to the present invention, an adapter for hanger bolts used to efficiently drill hanger bolts into a substrate in order to secure protective structures for windows during high winds and inclement weather, such as hurricanes, that satisfactorily solves the weaknesses associated with the more conventional screws in an efficient, practical and economically affordable manner has not been proposed or suggested by those skilled in the art.
Thus, there is a need for an adapter for hanger bolts that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned needs for an adapter for hanger bolts by providing an adapter to efficiently drill hanger bolts into a substrate that further provides the ability to secure protective structures for windows to be used during high winds and inclement weather.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an adapter for hanger bolts. The adapter for hanger bolts includes a hex head adapted for use in a receiving device, a socket head set screw having a thread, wherein the socket head set screw is set at least partially in a socket head set screw receptacle of the hex head, and a hanger bolt housing having a hanger bolt channel abutting an end of the socket head set screw receptacle.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to disclose an adapter for hanger bolts that is capable of both efficiently drilling hanger bolts into a substrate and easily removing hanger bolts from threaded engagement within the adapter.